In Luke 6:47-49, Jesus says that a man should listen to his words. He is not talking about just letting the words fall on one’s ears. Just because a person is within hearing distance, and just because he is looking at the person talking, does not mean he is actually attempting to think about what is being spoken.
The same holds true for reading. Just because one allows his eyes to scan across words on a page, does not mean that one is actually reading and thinking about those words.
When Jesus said we are to “hear” his sayings, He means that, whether we are listening to someone teach or preach, or whether we are reading our Bible, we should think and contemplate on the words. Effort must be put forth in studying God’s Word. Knowledge and wisdom of his Word does not magically come to us.
In the referenced text, Jesus compares hearing with digging. In verse forty-eight, He says that the man who listens and does His Word is like the man who digs deep and lays the foundation of a house. Listening properly is digging deep. A house must have a proper foundation. That foundation must be solid. The foundation of a house in many Bible lands was set on rock. Thus, a person many times had to dig deep through sand and soil to find the rock.
We find the spiritual Rock, Jesus, by digging deep in the Scriptures. We must read and study. We must contemplate and meditate on His Word. As we build our spiritual house bigger, we must continue to find more rock. We should always be building a bigger spiritual house. Thus, we should always be studying and learning more from God’s Word.
Study your Bible. Dig deep and continue throughout life to dig in God’s Word. If any of this is hard to understand, ask an adult to help you.
